Friday, April 3, 2015

9 South Africans making MAJOR MOVES in Hollywood!!

Trevor
Noah made waves this week by joining the illustrious but small circle of South African celebrities who have taken the ultimate leap of faith and are now part of Hollywood's
elite. While everyone is still buzzing about the comedian and his new
role on Comedy Central, allow me to introduce (or share) a list of
South African actors and actresses that are on their GRIND in
Hollywood.

They
got next! In no particular order....

1.
Gugu Mbatha Raw

The
bi-racial actress was born to a black South Africa doctor and a white
nurse. The
31-year-old actress earned rave reviews last year from
critics starring in two very different roles- "Beyond
the Lights" and "Belle" respectively. Earlier
this year she was honored by Essence Magazine at the Black Women in
Hollywood luncheon. Gugu is still rapidly ascending in Hollywood, she
is currently
shooting a film with Will Smith in Pittsburgh.

2.
Terry Pheto

How
many South African actors can toast to the fact that their movie
picked up an Academy Award? Terry Pheto can! Her movie "Tsotsi"
scooped up in Oscar in 2005 for best feature film. Raised in
Johannesburg, the 33 year old is making her mark on both the
Hollywood and South African film and TV industry. We all saw her kill
it in last's year "Long Walk to Freedom" movie as Nelson
Mandela's first wife. The Soweto native has
plenty of receipts and is always working, she's currently
starring in Mzani Magic's hit show “Rockville”

3. Lesley-Ann Brandt

South
African born actress Lesley got some deliciously good news this week.
She landed
one of the female leads in Fox’s drama pilot Lucifer,
from Jerry Bruckheimer TV and Warner Bros TV. She replaces Lina Esco,
who was originally cast in the role. The change was made after the
pilot’s table read, with Esco released and Brandt, who also had
tested for the role, brought in. Congrats Lesley!!!

4.
Nondumiso Tembe

In
2011 Nondumiso Tembe hit it BIG in Hollywood when she nabbed the role
of Mavis in “True Blood.” The Yale graduate was recently
cast as Fanta in Clement Virgo's epic adaptation of
Lawrence Hill's bestselling novel "THE BOOK OF NEGROES. The six
part mini-series aired on BET earlier this year.

5.
Fana Mokoena

Earlier
this year actor Fana Mokoena told the
BBC that he turned down an acting job to be an MP in a newly
formed political party- EFF. "I spoke to my agent and I
said: 'Listen there's going to be a problem.' But [the EFF] is kind
of important for me - it's history". The role he turned
down was for the movie Interstellar is
a 2014 science
fictionepic
film directed
by Christopher
Nolan,
starring Matthew
McConaughey, Anne
Hathaway,Jessica
Chastain and Michael
Caine.
The movie was
successful at the box office and received highly positive reviews
from critics. Fana has an extensive history in Hollywood having
starred in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”, “Safe House”
and” Hotel Rwanda.”

6.
Candice
Susan Swanepoel

South
African supermodel Candice
Susan Swanepoel is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret. In
2012, she came in 10th on the Forbes top-earning models
list. Candice grew
up on a beef-and-dairy farm in South Africa. “I saw my dad wake up
at 4 every morning to milk the cows. I’d put on my overalls and gum
boots and follow him around,” she says. “Growing up surrounded by
so much life and death and realness shaped my personality. Africa is
not for wussies. It’s in our culture to be hard workers.”

7. Sal
Masekela

Sal is an American television host. He is the son of the famous
South African jazz musician 'Hugh Masekela'. After a
stint as a co-host of E!’s “The Daily 10,” he joining NBC
Sports and Red Bull Media House in 2012 where he
is the host of NBC’s
Red Bull Signature Series. Proving the apple doesn’t fall far from
the tree- his band’s new song played during the premiere
of Showtime’s “House of Lies.”

Cape
Town based actress, Kim
Engelbrecht stars
in the US Sci-Fi series "Dominion." The show is
an Americanapocalypticsupernaturalactiontelevision
series created
by Vaun Wilmott. On landing the role of Sergeant Noma Banks, she
says: “I auditioned. There is this amazing casting director,
Christa Schamburger, and she does a large amount of the international
work that comes to South Africa. She has been amazing. I auditioned
for a different character though – you haven’t met her (on
screen) as yet. The producer was present when I got the call back and
he thought I would be better suited for this role."

9. Sharlto Copely

You’ve
seen Sharlto Copely in ‘District 9′, ‘The A-Team’ and
‘Maleficent’ but did you know that he's South African? Sharlto
Copley was born in Johannesburg and is currently
starring sci-fi release Chappie, since 2012. His girlfreiend Tanit
Phoenix (also South African) who is no stranger to cinema, having taken
roles in films including Death Race 2, Safe House and Lord Of War, in
which she starred alongside Jared Leto and Nicolas Cage.